Food flavor sprays, with or without lecithin, are commonly used to add flavor to salads, pastas, fish, meat, etc., and are sprayed directly on the food. Similarly, cooking sprays, with or without flavors, are usually applied to frying pans, baking pans, griddles and similar surfaces in order to prevent food from sticking to the surfaces and therefore make it easier to clean the surfaces and to prevent damage to the food surface such as would occur if parts of the food surface stick to the cookware or utensil surfaces.
Food sprays generally consist of an edible oil and a flavor. In the case of cooking sprays, where a non-stick characteristic is desired, lecithin is also included. A lecithin molecule has a hydrophobic end and a hydrophilic end which prevents the food from sticking to the pan. The oil is usually peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, soy oil or a mixture of these oils. Examples of flavors added to the oil are butter, garlic, mesquite, etc.
The sprays are commonly dispensed from either an aerosol can or a pump type container. In an aerosol dispenser (by far the most widely-used dispensing system) a propellant is used, such as a hydrocarbon gas, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide or other food approved propellants. Other additives to prevent foaming are sometimes also used.
The main problem with these conventional sprays is that the oils used have a relatively low smoke point and, when the oil on the cookware surface is heated to a high enough temperature to sear the surface of the food, the sprayed-on oil tends to smoke and fill the kitchen with burnt oil type odors. This is an unpleasant odor and, in addition, can set off smoke alarms used to detect smoke from fires. In restaurants, this odor is especially undesirable for ambience reasons. Thus, it is desired in the art to provide a food flavoring spray and a cooking spray which can be used to add flavor to food and/or to render cookware "non-stick" and which has a high smoke point (preferably at least 245.degree. C.) and low flammability, and in which the oil used is also known to be health enhancing.